Spoilers will follow. This summer's blockbuster movies seem to have been bookended by two of the best super hero movies ever made. Marvel's The Avengers and DC's The Dark Knight Rises(TDKR) go about their work in two different ways and accomplish very different things. While The Avengers takes a relatively lighthearted approach to saving the world, TDKR takes a much deeper and darker look at the relationship between a hero and his city and digs into human nature to boot.
The newest Batman film explores many of the same thematic elements as the previous two Christopher Nolan Batman films and combines them with terrific pacing, great storytelling and some fantastic cinematography. While The Avengers has a grand feel to it (as it should), TDKR is gritty and personal. From the throat-catching look into Alfred's broken heart in one of the final scenes to the visceral perception of evil power that surrounds Bane, TDKR is designed to play to the emotions of viewers and dose it without feeling cheap or forced.
The best aspect of TDKR is the sense of completeness at the end of the film. While Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman was spot on, it is finished. The Batman's story has been told and it is time for others to step into his place. There will be no protests if Bruce Wayne happens to make the occasional appearance, but the spotlight belongs to the next generation now, and TDKR showed us why.
TDKR certainly fits into the top five super hero movies. It was terrific fun and told a deep and interesting story that completed this arc of the Batman universe perfectly.
Andrew
Reading:
The Dragon's Path, Daniel Abraham.
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